


Beebo

by BananaFana0883



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
Genre: Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 19:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6296053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananaFana0883/pseuds/BananaFana0883
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Featuring characters from my WIP Here's Looking at You, Kid.  Just a quickly written drabble designed to warm the heart.  <3</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beebo

Raphael stared down at the tiny cardboard book in his huge hands.  "The Belly Button Book," he read, deadpan, eyes flicking up to the sweet round face of the toddler standing in front of him.  

Betsy nodded, crystal blue eyes sparkling as she stared up at him.  "Pease?"

There was another beat of silence as Raph stared right back at her.  Typically, he'd say no, just for the sake of being contrary, but it was impossible when faced with such an adorable little creature with her wide, expectant eyes and little bow lips.  He sighed, cast a glance around the apartment to be sure that Gwen was still in Sean's room helping him pick up, then grabbed the little girl and boosted her easily into his lap.  "Okay," he acquiesced, "but just once."

"Once!" Betsy repeated with a nod, easily settling back against his plastron and shoving one pudgy thumb into her mouth.

Raph cleared his throat and opened the book.  "This tiny hippopotamus has something small to say . . ." he read, "And if you're very quiet now, she'll say it right away.   _ Listen! _ "  He paused, brows twitching up, then with a twist of his lips, continued, "Beebo!"

"Beebo!" Betsy shouted, the word followed quickly by a laugh and a clap of her dimpled hands.  

"You may not know what 'beebo' means.  Or maybe you've forgotten.  It's just the tiny hippo way of saying--"

"Bell-button!"

"Yah, belly button!" Raphael agreed with a chuckle, the toddler's enthusiasm wearing off on him.  "Ya like this book, eh?"

Betsy nodded, platinum curls bouncing around her ears as she craned her neck to look up at him.  The amusement faded from her features then, replaced with a quizzical expression, then she was wiggling off of his lap.

"Hey, where ya going?" he asked, but the toddler was intent as she pulled the hem of her shirt up over her adorably rounded tummy.

"Beebo," she announced, pointing to the inverted knot in the center of her belly.  

Raphael found himself smiling as he leaned forward, one elbow on his knee, and he reached out and gently poked her belly.  "Yah, s'yer belly button."

She lifted her gaze again to fix him with another curious stare, eyes going to the center of his abdomen.  "Beebo?"  Her head tipped and she moved closer, pointing to his middle, "Where?"

Raphael straightened, leaning back on the couch and glancing down at his own plastron, and then he sobered as he realized what she was asking.  "Where's mine?"

She nodded.  

"Oh, uh . . ."  He scrubbed a hand across the back of his neck, wondering how he could explain that he used to have a belly button, they all did, back when they first  _ hatched _ .  It was long gone though, closed up and covered by the hard plates of his plastron just like every other turtle in the world.  "I used t'ave one," he said, pointing to a spot near the center of his abdomen.  "Prob'ly right 'round there.  'S covered up now though."  He fisted his hand and knocked lightly on his plastron, "By these."

Betsy just stared at him, uncomprehendingly.  "Gone?" she asked.

"Yah, gone," Raph confirmed, watching her warily.  Would this be the moment when she decided to be scared of him?  He'd been surprised at how easily she'd taken to all of them, willingly allowing even  _ Leo  _ to pick her up - ugly as 'is mug was - but maybe she just hadn't realized how different they were from humans?  

Betsy stepped forward again, reaching out and touching the spot that he'd pointed out, where his belly button had been, once upon a time.  "Beebo."

Raph's face softened.  "Yah, ain't there no more though."

"Beebo," she insisted again, then grabbed the book from where he'd left it on the couch beside his thigh and crawled into his lap once again.  

The smile on his face would have been nothing short of embarrassing had anyone been there to see it, but another quick glance around the apartment proved that he and Betsy were still as alone as they had been only minutes prior.  So, he helped her settle into his lap again, then opened the book and found the page they'd left off on.  "We hippos love our belly b's.  They're round and cute and funny . . ."

"Beebo," Betsy interrupted, the word a whisper.

"Yah," Raphael grunted, a grin playing at the corners of his lips.  "Beebo."

 

**Author's Note:**

> The book they read is The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton


End file.
